The Super Bowl is an exciting annual event for the average American. For most, it’s all about the big football game. For me, it’s all about the big advertising game.
Few things are as entertaining as watching the richest companies in the country battle to have the best commercial, whether they go for family-friendly comedy or heartfelt anecdotes or, in this year’s case, an uncomfortable kiss between a supermodel and a freckle-faced “smart” guy.
Aside from the GoDaddy outlier, several commercials stuck out this year for their creativity. Doritos featured a hungry goat in “Goat 4 Sale,” crunching through countless bags of Doritos as his owner tried to sell him. While USAToday ranked “Goat 4 Sale” seventh, it easily should have snagged a higher spot on the list.
The same poll gave the Clydesdale reunion ad from Anheuser-Busch first place. However, the goat clearly loved Doritos, like Beyoncé loves leotards, while the Clydesdale never drank a drop of Anheuser-Busch’s product.
The people ranking these commercials clearly were biased toward horse owners, not even considering the bottom line: the farmer sold the horse because he didn’t love him anymore, but the goat owner tried to sell his beloved goat only because he couldn’t stand to lose any more Doritos. That speaks volumes about not only the addictive and wonderful qualities of Doritos, but of the lacking prevalence of Anheuser-Busch’s actual product in its commercial at all.
And let us not forget about the most-overlooked ad of Super Bowl XLVII. Amy Poehler’s quest through Best Buy ranked 14th, but the commercial was the most relatable one of them all. More important, it effectively made a point about Best Buy’s high-quality customer service while showcasing many popular tech products at the same time.
Poehler frantically asks questions about some of the big-name products on the market while a Best Buy employee follows patiently in his signature blue polo shirt. I couldn’t help but feel her pain.
“Are we in the cloud?” Poehler asked. I’ve been wondering the same thing for months. She continued and then asked, “Will this tablet read 50 Shades of Grey to me in a sexy voice?”
I certainly wasn’t wondering the same thing for months, but if I was, now I know that Best Buy is there to help me find a product that will. Not that I would ever need said product. But if I ever do, Best Buy’s humorous Super Bowl ad will be ready in the back of my mind.
Overall, many great ads aired this year, each with its own approach not only to gain or reaffirm customers, but to keep people like me entertained when I am dragged to Super Bowl parties. For that, I cannot help but love every commercial at least a little bit – even the awkward 30-second GoDaddy.com make-out session.
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